An interview with Biljana Gligoric, program director of our organization, is published on the blog of the Center for Architecture Belgrade. Here you can find the interview in its entirety.

A one-day conference and round table entitled „Choosing a Sustainable Future - Learning from Experiences - EcoVillage at Ithaca“ was held at the Government House in Cetinje on July 16, 2013. The event was organized by the Foundation Petrović Njegoš in cooperation with the US Embassy in Montenegro. The USA expert, Ms. Liz Walker, held a presentation on Ithaca, an example of successful eco-village in the state of New York. The presentation was followed by a round table and discussion on how the principles of eco-villages or sustainable settlements can be applied in Montenegro. A representative of Expeditio took part at the round table.

On Monday, June 24 at 12:00, at the Drago Palace in Old Town Kotor (Conservation and Archeology Center) members of Montenegrin Network of Anna Lindh Foundation held a meeting. National coordinator of the Montenegrin Network Boris Abramovic discussed with the present members about possibilities in the framework of Foundation’s programs and cooperation of the Montenegrin Network. In addition, he presented to the potential new members the program of the Foundation and the opportunities arising from the membership. Possibilities were also presented for participation of Montenegrin organizations in initiatives and projects with the Southern Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Turkey) through an annual call for proposals, participation in seminars and conferences and other opportunities for networking and cooperation available within this program.

Summary of national post-2015 consultations in Montenegro:

More than 8.000 people in Montenegro or 1.3% of total population have actively participated in national post-2015 consultations on development priorities after 2015. Expeditio is one of the organizations supporting this process. A final report, published in April 2013, can be downloaded here.

June 5th, 2013 www.slobodnaevropa.org · "Montenegro has still much to do if it wants to its epithet of ecological state gets its full meaning, recognized the government of Montenegro until EU declares that the issue of environmental protection must be at the center of decision-making in all policies . NGO sector in Montenegro notice that is less invested in environmental protection and warn of ecological black Points, stating  landfill Vasove vode, in the north of Montenegro as a dramatic example. They are glad because of stronger citizen activism in defense of the ecological values ​​of their country ... ".

Expeditio representative took part at the Anna Lindh Mediterranean Forum, held in Marseille, on 4-7 April 2013.

Expeditio representative, Biljana Gligorić, participated as a moderator at the conference „Utilization of New technologies for environmental monitoring”.

Expeditio representative, Biljana Gligorić, was a member of the Montenegrin delegation at the conference “Energy. Development. Democracy. Successful approaches for a new energy future in South East Europe”.

On 10 May 2013, Expeditio celebrates its 16^th birthday. We would like to thank all of you who follow our work and support us! Your Expeditio team.

Bellow is an article published on Radio Dux website about the international Conference “Rural Heritage of South East Europe”, held in Gornja Lastva on 27 April 2013:

Gornja Lastva 27. 04. 2013. (Radio Dux) - Izazov očuvanja i valorizacije tradicionalne ruralne arhitekture vrlo je sličan u svim zemljama regiona, a objekti upravo te arhitekture, pod najvećim su rizikom upravo sada u vremenu globalizacije – čulo se danas na međunarodnoj konferenciju pod nazivom „Ruralno nasljeđe Jugoistočne Evrope", koja je održana u Tivtu u sklopu 11.zasijedanja Mreže za nasljeđe Jugoistočne Evrope – "SEE Heritage Network". Tridesetak učesnika - stručnjaka za prostorno planiranje,arhitekata, konzervatora i aktivista NVO sektora iz Crne Gore, Srbije, Hrvatske, Kosova i Albanije okupilo se juče u adekvatnom ambijentu – starom bokeljskom selu Gornja Lastva na obroncima Vrmca iznad Tivta, gdje su raspravljali o načinima zaštite, obnove i adekvatne valorizacije tradicionalne ruralne ahtitekture u tim državama. Okruženi starim kamenim kućama, međama i netaknutom prirodom Gornje Lastve, učesnici skupa saglasili su se da ruralnu i tzv. vernakularnu arhitekturu treba sačuvati jer je ona izuzetno bitan dio cjelokupnog kulturnog identiteta država regiona.

We are very pleased to announce that SEE Heritage Network will organize a  one-day international Conference “Rural Heritage of South East Europe.” The conference is organized within the XI Meeting of SEE Heritage Network, and it will take place on Saturday April 27, 2013 in the village of Gornja Lastva, Montenegro.

Non-governmental organization EXPEDITIO submitted to the Directorate for Protection of Cultural Property of Montenegro an Initiative to protect Hotel Durmitor at Žabljak as an immovable cultural property.

A broadcast about the villages of Valista and Zalazi was shown on 8 April 2013 on TV Vijesti within the news and programme “Bez granica” presented by Sead Sadikovic. The author of broadcast is a journalist Nebojsa Mandic. A short broadcast shown during the news can be viewed at a youtube page of TV Vijesti.

A longer video entitled “Hiking to Valista and Mali Zalazi (hinterland of Kotor)” produced by Željko Starčević was posted at a youtube page of the Hiking Club Subra from Herceg Novi.

On 29 March 2013, on the occasion of International Day of Happiness, celebrated on 20 March, MAPSS (Montenegrin Association of Political Science Students) organized a panel discussion entitled ” Success through Motivation”. The panel speakers included:  Srđan Vukčević – business coach in Blue Coach company and a teaching fellow at the Faculty of Economy in Podgorica; Milan Radović – one of the most successful alpinists in Montenegro and one of the speakers at the first TEDx event in Podgorica; Biljana Gligorić – programme manager at EXPEDITIO Kotor. The panel discussion was moderated by Nevena Šarac, MAPSS member.

Information taken from the website http://www.spojimoniti.me: On the occasion of marking the Earth Day, April 2013, you can find a calendar listing all the environmental activities that will be carried out in Montenegro.  These activities include cleaning and tree planting actions, workshops/panel and round table discussions, different events and celebrations.

EXPEDITIO je dostavio Agenciji za zaštitu životne sredine primjedbe na „Elaborat procjene uticaja na životnu sredinu eksploatacije tehničko-građevinskog kamena sa ležišta „Nalježići“, Opština Kotor“.  

Dokumentaciju koja je bila na javnoj raspravi možete pogledati na sajtu NVO Ozon,a primjedbe EXPEDITIO možete pogledati ovdje.

EXPEDITIO se uključuje u globalnu kampanju za održivu budućnost. Pozivamo Vas da uzmete učešće u konsultacijama u oblasti zaštite životne sredine koje su dio širih tematskih konsultacija o razvojnom putu Crne Gore nakon 2015. godine. Konsultacije, namijenjene svim zainteresovanima iz javnog, nevladinog i biznis sektora iz primorskih opština, odrzaće se u Kotoru (u sali Hotela Vardar, Stari grad) u četvrtak, 07. marta 2013. od 11.00 do 14.00h.

Expeditio representative, Biljana Gligorić, has been elected a member of the Supervisory Board of the Civic Alliance from Podgorica.

On Monday, 29 January 2013, Expeditio representative, Biljana Gligoric, took part in the programme “Otvoreno” at RTCG. The programme was dedicated to the topic of energy efficiency.

“Are we sufficiently aware of the value of our old towns, or if they are often a burden to us? Do we know how to valorize the beauty of Old Ulcinj ramparts or a unique atmosphere of Kotor streets? The problem is that the decision-makers do not know how to turn culture and tradition into a high quality product”, said Biljana Gligorić. A full article can be read bellow:

NGO Coalition - By cooperation to the Goal, advocates to improve the framework for the development and operation of the NGO sector in Montenegro, improve relations with the Government of Montenegro, local governments, the Parliament of Montenegro and commercial entities, as well as improving the program and financial transparency of NGOs. From December 2012, there is a local board of the NGO Coalition in Kotor. If you wish to join the coalition, please fill out the application form and read more about its past activities.

On 17 January 2013, the second meeting of the Local Committee of NGO Coalition “Through Cooperation to the Aim” was held in Kotor at Expeditio office.

Dear friends, nearing the end of 2011, we use this opportunity to present, in brief,· the most important projects and activities implemented by Expeditio over the past 12 months. We wish you all the best in 2012 and thank you for being with us and following our work ! Your Expeditio team

EXPEDITIO established contact with CIAV - International Committee of Vernacular Architecture with the aim of exhchanging experiences and initiating cooperation related to the project of vernacular heritage valorization in Montenegro.

CIAV is a Scientific Committe of ICOMOS  - International Council on Monuments and Sites, one of the most important international organizations dedicated to cultural heritage protection.

An energy audit of the Primary School “Branko Božović” in Podgorici is being conducted. Expeditio’s program director, Biljana Gligorić, is a member of the team responsible for the audit. The audit is performed as part of the MEEP - Montenegrin Energy Efficiency Project.

On Friday, 14 December 2012, a meeting was held of the Steering Committee of NGO Coalition “Through Cooperation to the Aim”. At this meeting, Expeditio became a member of the Steering Committee.

On 13 December 2012, within the project Public Dialogue on Sustainable Use of Energy in Southeast Europe, Expeditio representative, Biljana Gligoric, held a lecture entitled “What it means to be a “green” company and how to become one / placing emphasis on energy efficiency”.

On 11 December 2012, a meeting of the Local Committee of NGO Coalition “Through Cooperation to the Aim” was held in Kotor. The aims of the Coalition are to:

Improve the framework for the development and operation of NGO sector in Montenegro.
Improve relations with the Government of Montenegro, local governments, the Parliament of Montenegro and business sector.
Increase the visibility of work and financial visibility of NGO sector.

By the beginning of December 2012 Expeditio website www.expeditio.org has had over a million hits.

EXPEDITIO representative, Biljana Gligorić, took part at the 4^th session of the Network for Corporate Social Responsibility, which was held on Friday, 30 November 2012.

A representative of Expeditio took part in the seminar “City to City Dialogues: Urban Planning and Land Management”, which was held in Budva on 5-7 November 2012. Among others, the seminar discussed the following topics: the pressures of urbanization in conditions of financial constraints (story of five towns), how urban development creates land value and practical tools for balancing public and private interests and benefits. The seminar was attended by representatives from Montenegro and the neighbouring countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The seminar lectures were expert collaborators and representatives of the organizer, as well as the speakers from the USA.

At the invitation of the non-governmental organization ANIMA from Kotor, a representative of EXPEDITIO took part at the final conference of the project “Promotion of the European charter for equality of women and men in local life”. The conference was held in Mostar, on November 2, 2012. A chapter of this charter is dedicated to the topic of Planning and Sustainable Development treated from gender perspective.

On 4 November 2012, the round table “Activities for the protection and valorization of chestnut forests and Vrmac Hill” was held in Kostanjica. It was organized by the Association “Kamelija” and the Local Community of Stoliv as part of the traditional event “Kostanjada Stoliv 2012”.

Representatives of Expeditio Tatjana Rajić and Jelena Pejković completed the course "Living Laboratories: Resilience and Sustainability of Municipalities" which took place on Isola di San Servolo, Venice, from November 26, 2012 to December 5, 2012. A total of 27 representatives of Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia were invited to participate in this course.

From 21 to 28 October 2012 a workshop on “Dragon Dreaming” was held on the island of Brač.  Dragon Dreaming is a holistic method for the implementation of creative, collaborative, sustainable projects.

The workshop on urban planning, tourism and (agri)culture entitled „Cetinje / Bajice or the Town out in the Fields”, organized by the Petrović Njegoš Foundation, in cooperation with the Municipality of Cetinje, Architectural Faculty from Podgorica, NGO Expeditio, NGO Green Home and Vukica Martinović, began on 3 October 2012 in a Martinović family memorial house in Bajice.  The workshop will last until 11 October 2012. It is a continuation of the Meetings of Petrović Njegoš Foundation organized during the first ten days of September 2012, when the workshop “Agriculture, Landscape and Economic Development” was held in the village of Gornja Lastva

A report on the dry stone worshop held in Boka Kotorska on 30 September 2012 and organized by Expeditio and Dragodid has been published on Dragodid’s website.

The report entitled With EXPEDITIO in Boka Kotorska can be read here.

On Sunday, 30 September 2012, a workshop and presentation on dry stone masonry techniques were organized by EXPEDITIO and the association Dragodid from Croatia. The workshop was held in an olive grove in the village of Tići on Luštica Peninsula. The workshop was led by Filip Bubalo and Grga Frankeš, representatives of the Dragodid association.

The workshop was followed by a public presentation on dry stone masonry techniques and activities of the Dragodid association. The presentation was held at 8.00 p.m. at the Gallery of Solidarity (Flour Square – next to Pima Palace) in the Old Town of Kotor.

Expeditio representative Jelena Pejković was selected to participate in the UNESCO Regional School on Sustainable Energy Governance in Dubrovnik, Croatia from September 29 to October 5, 2012. The school is a unique educational opportunity to enhance capacity-building in sustainable energy by conveying in a single venue a substantial capital of knowledge developed in UNESCO designated sites (World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves) in Europe. Experienced lecturers will highlight the links between advanced technology in the field of energy efficiency and the preservation of historical buildings and natural settings. The course will include a number of team-working sessions and field exercises using the World Heritage site of Dubrovnik as a real training scenario laboratory.

Architectural Studio Sinestezia from Belgrade organized an international architectural competition for the Preliminary Architectural Design for the Boka Artist Residence in Boka Kotorska. By the decision of an international jury composed of seven members, including a representative of Expeditio, the winner is a Japanese architect Tomohiro Hata from Kobe.

Expeditio representative took part in the workshop “Participatory approach to spatial planning, strategic documents development and public policy making”, which was held in the Municipality of Tivat on 13 September 2012.  The workshop, as a part of the LAMP project, was organized by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism in cooperation with the World Bank. The workshop included presentations held by: representative of the Municipality of Tivat, LAMP representative -Dragan Cvetković, lawyer Rade Jovanović, journalist Dušanka Pejović, Svetlana Jovanović – representative of the Republic Institute for Urban Planning and Design and spatial planner Dragoljub Marković.   

Expeditio received a one year license for using the latest version of ArcGIS software throught the Esri Nonprofit Organization Program.

From 1 to 10 September 2012, an international workshop entitled “Agriculture, Landscape and Economic Development” was held in the village of Gornja Lastva, Tivat. The workshop was organized by the Petrović Njegoš Foundation and NGO “Cultural Heritage Association NAPREDAK Gornja Lastva“, Tivat, in cooperation with NGOs EXPEDITIO from Kotor and Green Home from Podgorica.

We wan to inform you that Expeditio office will be closed August 1^st-20^th, 2012, due to summer vacations.

Between 9 and 20 July 2012 a Regional training on sustainable energy and transport entitled “Young leaders for sustainable future” was held on the island of Šolta, Croatia. A total of nineteen representatives of organizations from Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in this event.

Nevladina organizacija EXPEDITIO uputila je Reagovanje na izjavu gradonačelnice Opštine Kotor i medija (novinara Skala radia i TV Atlas) o dostavljanju pogrešnih informacija Komitetu za svjetsku baštinu UNESCO od strane NVO Expeditio. Reagovanje može učitati ovdje.